Photography by Sophie Mylou
Story by 6Surf Magazine/Kaspar Hamminga

Friday 10-05-16

I step out of the water over slippery rocks in Pedra Branca, a reefbreak in Ericeira, Portugal. It was crazy. I am totally wrecked and completely satisfied after my three hour session. While getting dressed Krijn, my teammanger at Protest Sporstwear, rings me up.

“Yo Kas, all good?”
“For sure, just got out of the water. Got a lot of hours in. How’re you?”
“Yeah, good, busy. Quick question: watcha doing next week?”
“Next week? Uhmmmm, school. What’s up?”
“Do you think might wanna kick it for a few days in Indonesia with Yannick, shoot some photos and videos and whatnot?”
“Sure I want to, but, time and stuff…you know. I don’t know what I can do. I’ll get back to you.”

The outlook was bleak. I was still rounding of my third year of school and had decent amount of deadlines. It all seemed like too much. Then again, no guts, no glory. I finagled some deals with different teacher and project groups and scored ten short days allocated for adventure. No, ten days doesn’t sound like much, but we’re talking about Indonesia, a place I consider one of the most beautiful in the world; I’ll take whatever I can get. After working it all out I call up Yannick and confirm the trip. They book the tickets and I get five days total. Five days to fly back to Holland, make two exams, grab the necessary meds for the trip, and pack up all my shit.

Wednesday//15-05-16

After a layover in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, I arrive late evening at Denpasar, Bali. Yannick is waiting for me and we ride to where we’re crashing our first few nights: the Brekele Berawa Beach House, a fine place to acclimatise. My first long distance trip ever was to Indonesia; it’s now my third time here. I almost feel like a regular. Along the way to Brekele I stare out of the window searching for the bars and haunts I used to hang. Is it like it once was? Does that little grandma still work there? Looks like that over the past four years a lot has remained, but there is just more of it. What is most noticeable are the newly sprouted hipster bars. They’re geared not just towards the surfers, but also the Australian kids with their shorn hip hairdos who like the Bintang lifestyle in combo with the cool surfy atmosphere. Once we’re at the beach house I jump into the covers.